Two-way sewer cleanout fitting



y 1950 H.L. FULTON 2,506,206

TWO-WAY SEWER CLEANOUT FITTING Filed April 21, 1948 IN V EN TOR.

Arron/ y Patented May 2, 1950 UNITED TWO-WAY SEWER CLEANOUT FITTINGHarry L. Fulton, Pueblo, C010. v Application April 21, 1948. SerlalNo.22,31 l I 3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in sewer clean-out fittings andhas reference more particularly to a two-way clean-out fitting, thepurpose of which will hereinafter appear.

In cities where houses are connected to a main sewer by means of terracotta pipes or by castiron pipes, where the grounds contain trees orshrubs, it frequently happens that roots will penetrate into the sewerpipes in search of moisture and where even very small rootlets thuspenetrate they branch out forming a sponge-like mass that ultimatelyclogs the sewers making it necessary to go to a great deal of expenseand trouble to remove the obstructions thus formed.

In the usual sewer installations no means is provided for easy access tosewer pipes for the purpose of removing roots, the usual method pursuedbeing to uncover a section of the sewer pipe and then break the pipethus providing a sufficiently large opening to permit the clean-outcables or rods to be inserted and the root obstructions thus removed.After the sewer pipe has been opened in this manner, the opening in thepipe is covered, usually in a very careless manner, and the dirt isreplaced. The result of this is that another opening is formed throughwhich roots may easily enter the sewer pipe, and when this occurs,another clean-out operation will become necessary.

' his the object of this invention to produce a clean-out fitting thatcan be inserted in the sewer pipe formation at the time that the seweris first installed and which shall have an opening flush with the groundand be so constructed that a clean-out cable or rod can be inserted intothe sewer pipe in either direction for the purpose of removing roots orany other obstruction that may be present.

It is the further object of this invention to produce a two-wayclean-out fitting of such a design that it can be made from the ordinaryterra cotta usually employed for sewer pipes or from cast-iron.

Another object of the invention is to produce a fitting of the typeindicated that shall not interfere with the normal fiow of sewagethrough the pipe.

A further object of the invention is to produce a fitting of the typeindicated that shall be provided with a guide member that facilitatesthe insertion of clean-out cables or rods and which A still furtherobject is to produce a fitting of the class described of suchconstruction and design that visual inspectioninaybe had of the, bottomof the fitting when it is in'position.

The above and other objects thatvmay become apparent as this descriptionproceeds are attained by means of a construction and an ar--;

rangement of parts that will now be described in. detail and for thispurpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which thein.- vention has been illustrated in its preferred form, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a clean-out fitaccordance with this.inven Figure 4.- is 'a section taken online 44, Figure.

In the drawing reference numeral l0 designates the surface of the groundand reference numerals ll designate the sewer pipe which has been shownby broken lines; Between the two sewer pipe sections II is positionedthe two-way clean-out fitting to which this invention relates.

The fitting has a shape broadly like that shown;

in Figure 2 having a straight pipe section, I5 ter-.-

minating at one end in a bell l2 and in the other; end in a spigot 13.The lateral branch has been shown as extending upwardly terminating in,a bell I l. The width of the fitting can be determined from aninspection of Figure 1.

The fitting illustrated in the drawing is comprised of the sewer pipesection having a bell I2 and a spigot I 3; two short sewer pipe sectionsit and the bell [4. The four sections are molded from clay in the usualmanner and while the four sections are still pliable, they are assembledinto the shape shown and then fired in a kiln. In preparing them forassembly two tongues are cut loose from section 15 and bent upwardlyforming the lower curved part ll of the guide. Short sections l5 arethen fitted in place and thebell l4 attached. Before the assembly isfired those portions indicated by reference numeral l8 are flattenedinto a shape somewhat as shown in Figure 4, so as to remove the sharpridges that would otherwise result and which would interfere with thewithdrawal of the cleaning cable with its hook and attached roots, etc.A sewerpipe section I9, preferably of cast-iron, isattached to bell I4and'terminates at the surfaceglofethe ground as shown. The interior ofthe fi'tting is made smooth and the opening therein must, at all points,permit a three and one-half inch ball to pass. When the fitting is inplace in the ground, as shown in Figure 2, and the closure removed frombell 20, the bottom of the fitting will be visible on each side of theguide, the opening in which has been designated by reference numeral 2|.The area visible is bounded by lines OA and OB; the bottom may, ofcourse, beinspeoted ton bothsides ofrtheyguidee In the, drawing: theclean-out cable. has been designated by reference numeral 22. When theclean-out cable is inserted, it is positioned on the; side of the guideinwhich the obstruction is 10- catedand will occupy the positionindicatedby' line X when it is inserted and a positionlsuberst'antiallylike that indicated by Y when it is withdrawn. The clean-out.cabl'e may: be the usual kind; either a flat ribbon, a wire 012ajointed rod, but in any casefits end is provided with 10Qks,23 thatserve togefiect av connection with the roots mother-obstructions:

( When the cleano1 J.t-;cableis witl'idrawn it-will swing; towardsthe"guide into" the broken line positipn'and the guide: must, therefore, beso. designedj that theliooksrwill not catch thereon; The; lower wall I"I? is'" for this reason curved' as shjowngimFigure fi' This'yisan"importantstrum tur'alifeature; The sides l 8 are also 1 moved outwardlyv as-above explainedi toprovidem; gratinally curved surface thatwill not interfere with the removal off the clean out cable" andWhateveris'attachedtheretor Duringnorrnal operation of thesewer the openingf in bell 1 2 3* is closed; means oi the" usual cover: Thishas; not"been. shown as it-= is commonto'clese-similarpipes imthismannerainspection-of FigureQ 'sl'iowe-tliat the guide is so positioned that itdoes not interfere witht'lie free 'fi'owof 'sewage:

Opening 2| serves to receive a rope when this is: required forraisingand lowering" the fitting a;-barmay lee-inserted therein' so thattwo men may-help in carry-ing itt From; the: above description it will:be apparenttthat wliezrag sewer pipe'ise provided with a two-way fittingof the type described above, the ameunt 'ofila'bor and expenseithatismsually' nec-' c essa-ryfor-removingflobstructions can be=redi1eed toan insignificant-' amountt witli aztwoeway fit tingcofithetypwdesczibediit *isga zmatter involvins only: as small' amount? o time and i labor=to effect an insertion of a clean-out hook and besides this, the furtherbreakage of the sewer pipe to permit such clean-out hooks to be insertedis unnecessary, thereby leaving the main sewer in good operativecondition What is claimed as new is:

1. A sewer clean-out fitting comprising, a straight pipe section forconnection in a sewer formation, the. ends of the.,pipe terminatinginaxially alignediopenings; a branchzextending laterally from said pipesection, the outer endof said branch having a single openingcommunieating with two angularly related passages whose lowerendscommunicate with the interior of the pipe sectionat longitudinallyspaced points. the passage in the branch being Y-shaped, theadjacentrwallsiofitheeangularly related passages formingguidesurfacesfor directing a cleaning tool in either of two directions.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which thatpart '01": 1 thepipe sectiombetween tl'ie'points Where the angularly related-" passagescommum icate' with the interiorthereof is downwardly;

convex;

32 A'- sewer eleanaout fitting" comprising; a straight; pipe section fconn'ectiorrin a& sewer: formation,- said pipe liaving a laterally:extend ing tubular branch; the passagefinw said branclr being Y shapedtl-ie en'ds' :of "the angularlvrrelat ed passages-communicating: witthezinteriorroi; the --pipeat r spaced points alongstlieelengthethereeof; said angulariy relatedpassagesrforminggmde channels-for a cleanioutrodf directing dtinreithen one of two directions:

Harmer lament-om REEERENGES:

The following references are' ofrecord in the file *of this patent:

UNITED STATES BATENTST.

